You are here

CSR's at Eversource in NH Make Second Bid to Join Union

UPDATE: July 8, 2015 - The final result of the NLRB election was a narrow Union loss 64 - 60. As a result these workers will continue to be unrepresented employees of Eversource.

June 29, 2015 - A majority of the Customer Service Representatives at Eversource Customer Experience in Manchester, New Hampshire (also known as the "Call Center") have signed union authorization cards to be represented by IBEW Local #1837. An election to certify the Union as their bargaining representative will be administered by the National Labor Relations Board on Wednesday, July 8.

There are 130 Customer Service Representatives employed by the Company at their facility on West Brook Street. Two years ago, when the Customer Service Representatives first tried to join the Union, IBEW was forced to file multiple unfair labor practice charges against the Company for their actions and policies. The Customer Service Representatives ultimately lost that election in 2013 but have renewed their campaign with a great sense of determination and purpose.

“Shortly after their election loss, Customer Service Representatives endured changes in their benefits plan that made many previous union opponents think that they’d voted the wrong way,” IBEW 1837 Organizer Matthew Beck said. “It wasn’t long before they were asking when they could try again.”

Many of those changes in benefits were not suffered by Union members at Eversource, and the Customer Service Representatives took notice. "Too many benefits taken away and nothing we could do about it," one said.

These prospective union members have been subjected to daily meetings at work with plenty of anti-union propaganda. Eversource has incorrectly told the Customer Service Representatives that IBEW Local #1837 represents workers at FairPoint, apparently as part of their effort to frighten them about the possibility of going on strike. IBEW Local #1837 hasn't had a strike in New Hampshire since 1985.

The Company has complained about the shorter period of time between the filing of the election petition and the election itself under new NLRB rules that went into effect in April. For the Customer Service Representatives at Eversource in Manchester, the election can’t come soon enough.